


The Curse of Faces

by TheTacticianAlchemist



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, Yu-Gi-Oh! Series
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fire Emblem Fusion, Alternate Universe - Medieval, I say slow burn but who knows if I mean it, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Romance, Slow Burn, counterpartshipping, pawnshipping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-04-01 09:00:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13994913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTacticianAlchemist/pseuds/TheTacticianAlchemist
Summary: After the disappearance of King Yusho over ten years ago, the Kingdom of Pend decided to protect its only heir, Yuya, through the use of an ancient magic. His retainers, each from a territory under Pend's control, were cursed to forever share his face and sworn to protect him with their very lives.On his eighteenth birthday, Yuya is approached by a mysterious woman who tells him that there may be a way to reverse the fates of his retainers, if only he continues forward with a smile on his face and follows the signs in his dreams. But there is more on the horizon than he could ever imagine.





	The Curse of Faces

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU I've been thinking up with @chromsai. I really don't know when I'll update this because all we really came up with was the premise and some plot points but definitely, definitely not all of them. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Basically all you gotta know is Yuya's constantly wondering if he's narcissistic for having feelings for Yuto but then again, he probably won't ever admit that to himself in this universe ha ha ha

It’s almost always the same dream.

Odd shapes in the darkness. Manic laughter, and a scream so blood-curdling that most nights it makes Yuya wake up in a cold sweat.

But sometimes, the dream continues, and he sees a figure holding out a shining, soothing light.

“Milord?”

Yuya moans, shifting. “Fi’ more min….”

“Milord, please.” There’s a hint of laughter in the voice. “There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know.”

Yuya blinks open his eyes to find dappled sunlight coming through the leaves overhead. It patterns the purple-and-lavender hair of his knight, Yuto. His pearl-grey eyes shine with amusement, and his lips curl upwards.

But it’s Yuya’s face.

“This moss is plenty comfy,” Yuya mumbles, not yet fully awake. After all these years, he’s far too used to the fact that he isn’t the only person with his face… regardless of the sick, guilty twist it gives his stomach sometimes. “Let me sleep some more.”

“I would, milord, but I do believe that we should be heading back to the castle.” Yuto holds out his hand. “You wouldn’t want to be late now, would you?”

Yuya groans. “I know. Mother will kill me.”

He takes Yuto’s hand, and the knight stands, gracefully helping Yuya to his feet. Their eyes meet, and Yuya looks away quickly, his face heating up.

“Hey, where’s my bow?” Yuya asks, turning toward the tree he laid his family heirloom, the Odd-Eyes Bow. It isn’t there.

“Oh, no,” Yuto says, and there’s a lilt in his voice. “What if it was stolen?”

Yuya pouts as he looks back at Yuto. “Stop taking my things from me!”

“Only when you learn to start taking proper care of your belongings, milord.” Yuto smiles smugly and pulls the silver bow from behind a nearby tree. The red and green jewels embedded in the handle gleam in the dappled sunlight.

Yuya snatches the bow back. “I kept it nearby. And it’s not like you and the others aren’t around.”

“You never know when we may not be,” the knight warns. “Yugo and Yuri are excellent retainers, of course, but none of us are invincible.”

His words leave a sour taste in Yuya’s mouth, even though Yuya knows that Yuto means no harm. The idea of any one of them one day no longer being by Yuya’s side is something he’s had nightmares about, and it’s not an idea that he wants to entertain.

Yuya turns around and slings his bow across his torso before beginning the walk back to the castle. Yuto falls instantly into place just beside him on the narrow trail; there’s just enough space for him.

“Where are those two, anyway?” Yuya asks.

“Yuri went further into the woods to study some plants,” Yuto explains. “Yugo did not seem to want him to go alone. They were bickering the whole time they were heading out.”

Yuya smiles. “There isn’t anything in these woods that could get the better of Yuri.”

“That’s what Yuri said.” Yuto laughs lightly. “But they promised that they would be back in time.”

“If they’ve got Apple, Yugo will get them back in no time.” Yuya runs a hand through his hair and comes out with a bit of moss. He groans. “I should probably clean up…”

“…before your mother kills you?” Yuto finishes, but Yuya can’t laugh—only shudder.

They emerge from the woods, and the path widens, winding up a grassy hill into the vast gardens, eventually making its way all the way up to the castle. Castle Pend stands at the very top of Maiami City, elegant stone spires reaching up into the sky, light blue tiles standing out against the pleasant grey stone. On the other side, the castle stands over the city like a guardian—an idea that Yuya’s never been able to shake since he was little—and eventually the hill meets the sea to the east and south.

The two make their way up the path, unperturbed by the somewhat steep climb. Yuya slows when they enter the gardens—he’s always been unable to keep his eyes away from the multitude of colorful flowers—but Yuto keeps in perfect step with him. They make it back into the castle proper before too much longer and Yuya hurries off to go clean up and change, while Yuto does the same.

()()()

As per usual, Yuri enters Yuya’s room without knocking. Yuya’s barely dressed—he has on pants, and he’s in the middle of putting on a sock—but Yuri’s seen him in far less, so Yuya only rolls his eyes as Yuri makes a dash toward the closet.

“Take off those pants, they won’t go with what I want you to wear,” Yuri says dismissively as he goes through the racks of clothes in the walk-in closet. For someone who spends a lot of time in the dirt looking at plants, he’s remarkably well-kept and clean.

Yuya huffs. “I’m eighteen now, Yuri. I can choose my own clothes.”

“Nonsense! You’re a prince, and I am your humble vassal.” The way he says _humble_ implies anything but. Most days, Yuya would rather Yuri be the prince—he certainly has a much better flair about himself for it. Not that Yuya _dislikes_ being a prince, but in all honesty, he would rather do something like travel or join the circus that comes to Pend every year. Hell, he would settle for being Yuri’s retainer.

If he were, then Yuri wouldn’t have his face.

Yuya scowls and looks away, hoping Yuri won’t notice. _I guess I’m having a bad day about this, huh,_ he thinks.

He takes off his pants as Yuri comes out with a white-and-gold coat, and matching trousers. “Come on, hurry up,” he says, and he helps put a red shirt on Yuya. Feeling a bit like a doll, Yuya just lets Yuri dress him, waiting for it to be over. But he has to admit that Yuri knows more about how to coordinate outfits than he does.

“Ugh, why doesn’t your hair cooperate?” Yuri fusses, running a comb through Yuya’s bangs to sweep them to the side neatly. A stubborn strand of hair, as always, pokes up from the top of his head.

“Hey!” Without warning, Yugo pokes his head into the room. His hair is rather windswept, and there’s some dirt on his cheek, but he’s grinning, his azure eyes alight. Even though he also has the same face, somehow his smile is wider than Yuya thinks his own could ever be. "I think it's cute."

“ _You_ don’t get to decide what’s cute,” Yuri snaps, throwing Yugo a nasty look. “You were raised in a barn more than an estate. Ugh, and go clean up,” he adds, pointing to the bathroom. “There isn’t much time.”

“Fine, fine,” Yugo says, waving his hand. He leaves the door ajar as he heads to the bathroom, and Yuri huffs before turning back to Yuya and running the comb through his hair again. Yuya rolls his eyes.

“I’m fine, Yuri,” he says.

“Beauty requires constant effort, my prince,” Yuri says, but after another pass through with the comb, he puts it on the dresser and checks his own nails. “We should head down soon. Your mother will kill you if you’re late.”

“Don’t remind me,” Yuya grumbles. He grabs the silver pocketwatch on his dresser, the one his father gave him as a child, and checks the time. “You’re right, though. Yugo, come on.”

Yugo hurries out of the bathroom, his face clean but wet. Yuri scowls when he sees that Yugo’s hair is still unkempt, and he attacks Yugo with the comb. Yuya laughs, doubling over and holding his stomach, as Yugo growls and tries to escape Yuri’s clutches.

There’s a knock at the door, barely audible over the cacophony, and Yuto comes in. “Hey,” he says, and he lifts an eyebrow at the spectacle before turning to Yuya. “We really should be going, milord.”

“Okay, okay,” he says, catching his breath. “Come on, you two.”

After another hurried pass-through of Yugo’s hair, Yuri pulls away. “There. Barely passable.”

Yugo rushes to the door to get as far away from Yuri as possible. “Let’s go, let’s go! I’m starvin’!”

()()()

Yoko straightens out Yuya’s collar, and then adjusts the circlet on his head. “Honestly, Yuya. Be more considerate of what you look like.”

“Yuri does that for me,” Yuya mumbles.

“Your retainers shouldn’t have to do everything for you,” she scolds. “You may be a prince, but I’ve always told you—you’re a human being first.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” he mutters, lower this time. He thinks his mother must hear him, because she looks away and dusts imaginary lint off her dress.

“Yuya,” she says after a moment, and he looks up at her to find her winking at him. “I’m proud of you. And I know for a fact that your father would be, too.”

Then she signals to the guards nearby, and they open the doors, revealing the grand ballroom. Yoko leads Yuya inside to the balcony, and the guests below clap politely.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Yoko begins, and Yuya feels his chest tighten. “I sincerely thank you for coming. Tonight, we celebrate not only the eighteenth birthday of my son Yuya, but also his acceptance into Academia. On the morrow he shall leave for his studies, but for now, we shall all enjoy his company and partake in feasting and entertainment. And now, I give you Yuya.”

Yuya takes a breath and steps forward, plastering a broad smile on his face and bowing deeply. The applause grows, and this time, his joy is far more genuine. “Ladies and gentlemen!” he begins with a flourish. “It is my pleasure that we at Pend Castle are to host you tonight. Please, do not refrain from helping yourselves to whatever we have to offer. Our home is your home. The fun is about to begin!”

He snaps his fingers, and the band begins to play a lively set of strings. The crowd claps again, and then begin to break off, some going to eat and others pairing off to dance. Yoko pats Yuya’s shoulder and smiles at him before making a soft shooing gesture.

“Go have fun,” she says quietly, and Yuya grins, nodding.

He tries not to hurry down the stairs like an excited child. His eyes scan the crowd, and he can pick out his retainers even at a distance. As per custom, they’re armed with ceremonial weapons—Yuto with an axe rather than his usual spear, Yuri with a bright violet tome, and Yugo with a polished sword—and their lower faces are covered with a veil. They mingle among the crowd, mostly keeping watch, although Yugo’s eyes keep wandering toward the food tables. Yuya grins at that.

From then on, Yuya does his best to snag food when he can, but it’s hard to do when nobles from across Pend and its territories—Xyzon, Synchronia, and Yugon—constantly assail him for conversation and dances. He’s always liked dancing, but a few of the girls he dances with constantly blush and flutter their eyelashes at him, and it takes all of his self-control to keep his bright smile.

“Milord?” He turns to find Yuto there, his pearl-grey eyes narrowed with concern. 

"What is it?” Yuya asks, a bit giddy. He snuck a couple drinks even though he usually doesn’t have anything, and he definitely feels a little lightheaded.

“It is getting late,” Yuto says. His voice is slightly muffled behind his thick veil. Like this, Yuya can pretend that Yuto really does have a different face. That he’s not _cursed_. “There are only a few more dances before the ball will come to a close. I just wanted to make sure that you have eaten properly.”

Yuya gives him a lazy smile. “You worry too much, Yuto. An’ how many times have I said to cut the ‘milord’ crap and call me Yuya?”

Yuya thinks he can just barely make out some redness in Yuto’s face, but the knight just shakes his head. “Just… Please be careful, all right?”

“Of course,” Yuya says, but before he can continue, Yuto faces someone behind him and bows. Yuya turns.

“Excuse me.” A young woman—maybe two or three years older than Yuya, with long red hair and soft violet eyes—curtsies. “Am I interrupting anything?”

“You were not. My apologies, milady,” Yuto says. He gives another deep bow. “If you will excuse me…”

Yuya, his brows furrowed, watches him disappear into the crowd. After a moment, he remembers himself and turns back to the young woman, and he gives her a short bow. “Excuse me. I’m afraid we haven’t met before.”

“You don’t remember me?” she asks with a smile, and Yuya blinks. Before he can respond, she holds out her hand. “If I may ask, would you care to dance?”

“O-of course,” Yuya says, nodding, and he takes her hand and leads her out into the dancefloor. The music swells, and he takes the woman’s waist and leads her.

“You seem close with your retainers,” she comments, smiling. “It seems that he frets over you more than the others, however.”

“Ah…” He bites his lip and looks away. “Yuto is rather, um, particular. But, of course, I value him as much as I do my other two retainers.” He pauses, trying to think of how they looked when he met them for the first time, but it’s been so long that he can’t recall. “I would do anything for them.”

He glances back at her, and then, his gaze meets her piercing violet one.

“My prince,” she says, and though the music is swelling, she is all he can hear. “If given the chance, would you unshackle them from their fates?”

A firm resolve wells up in his stomach, his chest, and extends all throughout his body. He nods, his lips set in a hard line. “Without hesitation.”

A small smile spreads across her face, but the expression doesn’t meet her eyes. “Would you believe that there may be a way?”

Yuya makes a mistake in his steps, stumbling a little, but the woman doesn’t seem perturbed at all. “W-what?”

She stares at him for a long moment, and then: “If your heart is true, you must not falter. You must keep pressing forward, with a smile on your face, and never look back. Your dreams will guide you.”

And then, the music fades, and the woman pulls away from him and curtsies. Yuya bows stiffly, blinking at her, and in the next moment, she’s disappeared into the crowd.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think! ...And don't be afraid to shout ideas at me in case you want me to consider using them. (ha ha what is plot)


End file.
